Portable hospital bathtub apparatus



July 9, 1957 M. G. Mc uowN PORTABLE HOSPITAL BATHTUB APPARATUS Filed June 24, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet l J y 1957' M. (2 McQUOWN 2,798,229

PORTABLE HOSPITAL BATHTUB APPARATUS Filed June 24, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. Mas/m1 a. M oaan A/ July 9, 1957 M. G. McQUOWN PORTABLE HOSPITAL BATHTUB APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 24, 1955 INVENTOR. A MAESf/AZZ MQUfl/V F/ G. 5 y

ATTQZA EYS 2,798,229 Patented July 9, 1957 2,798,229 7 PORTABLE HOSPITAL BATHTUB APPARATUS Marshall G. McQuown, Redding, Calif., assignor of onetenth to Alvin M. Cibula, Bedding, Calif.

Application June 24, 1955, Serial No, 517,680

3 Claims. (Cl. 4-179) This invention relates to improvements in therapeutic bath apparatus, and more particularly to an improved hospital bathtub apparatus of the portable type.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved hospital bathtub apparatus: which is. simple in construction, which is readily movable to. a desired location, and which is provided with means for raising and lowering a patient into the bathtub tank portion thereof with a minimum amount of exertion. on the part of a nurse orother attendant.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved portable hospital bathtube apparatus which is relatively inexpensive to fabricate, which is durable in construction, which is provided with respective sources of hot and cold water which maybe mixed in a desired proportion, which is relatively compact in size, and which is easy to keep in a clean and sanitary condition.

Further objects and advantages of the invention. will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Figure 1 is a side elevationalview partly in vertical cross section, of an improved portable bathtub apparatusconstructed in accordance with the presentinvention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal cross sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view, with parts broken away, of the bathtub apparatus shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the apparatus taken on the line 44 of Figure 1', with the end cover panel of the housing of the apparatus removed.

Figure 5 is a front end elevational view of the portable bathtub apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged elevational detail view, partly in vertical cross section, of one of the screw jack devices employed with the stretcher member of the bathtub apparatus of Figures 1 to 5.

Referring to the drawings, the improved portable bathtub apparatus is designated generally at 11 and comprises a frame 12 of any suitable rigid material, such as metal tubing or the like, which is mounted on casters 13, the frame being generally rectangular in shape and being provided with the covering or housing, shown at 14, and fabricated from any suitable material, such as sheet metal, or the like.

Designated at 17 is a bathtub tank which is mounted in the upper portion of the frame 12, for example, by the provision of a horizontal top peripheralflange 18, onthe bathtub tank, said fiange 18 being engaged over horizontal upper supporting elements 19 of frame, 12 and being secured thereto in any suitable manner.

Respective front and rear extensions 20 and 21 are provided at the front and rear end portions of the flange 18, said extensions serving as supporting surfaces for various objects, such as soap, sponges, and the like. The shelf-like extensions 20 and 21 are provided with upstanding marginal walls 22 and 23 to retain objects on said extensions.

The main frame 12 is provided at its opposite ends with the respective upstanding canopy supports 25, 25, said supports being generally arched in shape, as shown in. Figure 5, and being parallel to each other. A suitable covering or canopy of flexible material, such as canvas. or the like may be mounted on the supports 25, 25 to.

provide a covering for the bathtub apparatus.

Designated at 26, 26 are respective cover flaps of suitable rigid sheet material which are hinged to the top.

longitudinal side portions of the main frame 12 and which may be employed to cover the bathtub tank 17 at times when the apparatus is not in use, as shown in Figure 3. When the apparatus is in use, the cover flaps 26, 26 are in their vertical depending positions, shown in Figure 1, at the respective sides of the apparatus. adjacent to the side walls of the housing 14.

Mounted on the lower portion of the frame 12 below the bath tub tank 17 and enclosed inside the housing 14 is a sheet metal tank structure 27' comprising a hot water compartment 28, a cold. water compartment 29, and a waste compartment 30, the hot water compartment 28 being separated from the cold water compartment 29 by a suitably insulated transverse partition 31, and the cold water compartment 29 being separated from the waste compartment 30 by a transverse partition plate 32.

The bathtub tank 17 has a sloping bottom wall which is connected at its lowest point, namely, adjacent the forward end of the bathtub tank, to the waste compartment 30. through a conventional conduit 33 including a conventional discharge valve controlled by a shaft 34 extending through the front end wall of the housing 14 and being provided with the operating handle 35, as shown in Figure. 1.

Connected tothe bottom of the waste compartment 30 is a waste conduit 36 which extendsrearwardly beneath the apparatus through an electric pump 37 mounted in a rear compartment 38 of the apparatus and connected to a waste discharge conduit 39, as shown in Figure 4.

Thecompartment 38 is provided with a removable panel 40 which is normally received in a suitable aperture provided therefor in the rear wall of housing 14 and which is retained in flush relationship with said rear wall in any suitable manner, as by the use of conventional spring catch means. The panel 40 is readily removable whenever access is. required to the compartment 38.

A conventional, valved inlet fitting 41 is mounted in the rear wall of the housing 14 below the shelf-like extension 21, as shown in Figure 1. Connected to the fitting 41 are the respective branch conduits 42 and 43 leading to the respective hot and cold water compartments 28 and 29 through respective manually operated valves 44 and 45. Respective outlet conduits 46 and 47 lead from the lower portions of the compartments 28 and 29 through a manually controllable mixing valve 43 of conventional construction to an outlet conduit 49 which is provided with an electric pump 50. The conduit 49 extends upwardly and terminates in a discharge fitting 51 located just above the rear end portion of the bathtub tank 17, as shown in Figure 1, whereby water will be discharged therefrom into the tub when the pump 50 is operated, the fitting 51 being provided with suitable valve means controlled by a lever 52, the fitting 51 being conventional in construction. The fitting 51 is provided with valve structure normally closed but which is operated to open responsive to downward rotation of the lever 52.

Suitable spray means may be connected to the fitting discharged from the reservoirs 28 and 29 will be mixed in a desired proportion, by adjustment of the mixing valve 48, to provide a desired outlet temperature of water at the discharge fitting 51.

Designated at 54 is a stretcher member of generally rectangular shape arranged to fit within the bathtub tank lugs 57 and 58 extending respectively forwardly and rearwardly from the support members and 56, as shown in Figure 1. Each of the top lugs 57 and 58.is' provided with a vertical bore which slidably receives the top portion of a vertical jack screw member 59 which is retained in said bore by a transverse pin 60 provided in the lug which engages through a vertical slot 61 formed in the top end of the jack screw member. A coiled spring 62 surrounds the jack screw member below each lug 57 and 58 and bears on a collar 63 secured on the subjacent portion of the associated jack screw.

Each jack screw is slidably received in a respective vertical sleeve member 64 rigidly secured to the lower portion of the frame 12 in alignment with the associated jack screw, each sleeve member 64 being formed with a vertical slot 65 through which extendsv a transverse pin 66 secured to the lower portion of the associated jack screw to retain the jack screw in the sleeve but to allow the jack screw to move vertically therein.

As shown in Figure 6, secured to each sleeve 64 is an.

electric motor 67, the motor 67 being arranged with its shaft parallel to the sleeve 64 and being provided with a pinion gear 68 on its shaft meshing with a large gear 69 integrally formed on a nut member 70 meshing with the associated jack screw 59 and rotatably supported on the top end of the associated sleeve 64.

Thus, when the motors 67 are energized, the jack screws 59 are simultaneously moved vertically, moving the stretcher member 54 similarly. The motors 67 are preferably of the reversible type, and are connected in the conventional manner so that they may be energized'either in a direction to raise the stretcher member 54 or in the opposite direction, to lower said stretcher member, where by the stretcher member may be raised or lowered with' respect to the bathtub tank 17, as desired.

Rigidly secured to the frame 12 is marginal railing member 71 which extends subjacent to the top flange 18 of the bathtub tank and which has secured to its opposite end portions the respective towel rack members 72 and 73, as shown in Figure 1.

As will be readily understood, the tanks 28 and 29 may be filled with water from a suitable source, and the device may be moved to the location of the patient requiring its use. By suitably energizing the heating element 53, the water in the tank 28 is raised to the desired temperature, and by adjusting the mixing valve 48, the water discharged from the outlet fitting 51 may be set at the desired temperature. The stretcher member 54 may be elevated by energizing the motors 67, to facilitate the placement of the patient thereon, after which, the stretcher member 54 may be lowered into the bathtub tank 17 with the patient supported on the stretcher member. After the patient has been bathed, the patient may be lifted out of the bathub tank by elevating the stretcher member 54.

The waste water may be discharged into the waste re-" ceptacle 30. When the apparatus is returned to its normal location, the Waste receptacle 30 may be emptied by connecting the discharge conduit 39 to a suitable drain and by energizing the pump 37. i

Suitable filter screens are provided on the intakeends of the conduits 46 and 47 to prevent foreign material a top external 4 from being transferred from the water reservoirs 28 and 29 into the bathtub tank.

While a specific embodiment of an improved portable bathtub apparatus has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Theerfore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a portable bathtub apparatus, a frame, a bathtub tank mounted on said frame, respective hot and cold water reservoirs mounted on said frame subjacent said tank, an electrical heating element in said hot water reservoir, a supply conduit communicating with said tank, respective conduits connecting said hot and cold water reservoirs to said supply conduit and including regulating valve means arranged to regulate the relative proportions of hot and cold water admitted to said supply conduit, pump means in said supply conduit arranged to discharge water from said supply conduit into said tank, a waste reservoir mounted on said frame below said tank, conduit means connecting said tank to said waste reservoir, a stretcher member, and electrically operated jack means mounted on opposite ends of the frame and supporting said stretcher member over said tank, said jack means being arranged to at times lower said stretcher member into said tank and at other times to elevate said stretcher member in said tank. I?

2. In a portable bathtub apparatus, a wheeled frame, a bathtub tank mounted horizontally on an upper portion of said frame, a water supply reservoir mounted on said frame, conduit means connecting said supply reservoir to said tank, a waste reservoir mounted on said frame below said tank, conduit means connecting said tank to said waste reservoir, respective vertical jack screws movably mounted on said frame adjacent opposite ends of said tank, a stretcher member disposed over said tank, respective nut elements journaled on said frame at the end portions of. said stretcher member and threadedly engaged with said jack screws, and means drivingly coupled to and arranged to rotate said nut elements for raising and lowering said stretcher member with respect to said tank.

' 3. In a portable bathtub apparatus, a wheeled frame, a bathtub tank mounted horizontally on an upper portion of said frame, a water supply reservoir mounted on said frame, conduit means connecting said supply reservoir to said tank, a waste reservoir mounted on said frame below said tank, conduit means connecting said tank to said waste reservoir, an electric heater in said water supply reservoir, respective vertical jack screws movably mounted on said frame at opposite ends of said tank, a stretcher member disposed over said tank, respective nut elements journaled on said frame at the end portions of said stretcher member and threadedly engaged with said jack screws, and respective electric motors drivingly coupled to and arranged to rotate said nut elements for raising and lowering said stretcher member with respect to saidtank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 746,389, Schmidt Dec. 8, 1903 1,024,329 Grow Apr. 23, 1912 1,222,669 Purnell Apr. 17, 1917 1,759,774 Andriulli May 20, 1930 2,560,997 Thompson July 17, 1951 2,604,638 Furry July 29, 1952 2,696,012 Hahn Dec. 7, 19,54 7 

